Love, Not Actually
by molly22
Summary: Ginny and Harry are a perfect couple. Unfortunately, one day at Hogsmeade, Draco Malfoy is hit with a love potion, making him fall desperate in love with Ginny. Needless to say, it puts a bit of a cramp on the relationship. HarryGinny RonHermione
1. Prologue

Title: Love, Not Actually  
  
Author: molly22  
  
Summary: Ginny and Harry are a perfectly happy couple. Unfortunately, one day at Hogsmeade, Draco Malfoy, Harry's archenemy, is hit with a love potion, making him fall desperate in love with Ginny. Needless to say, it puts a bit of a cramp on the relationship. HarryGinny . . . HermioneRon  
  
Pairings: Harry/Ginny . . . Hermione/Ron  
  
Rating: PG-13 (for language)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything related. Yay for me.  
  
A/N: Okay, this is a companion story to "The Battle of Dimwits," a HP fanfic that I wrote with the same pairings. You don't have to have read that to read this, but it would probably help, and I'm really rather proud of it. Try reading it.  
  
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"Oh, it's beautiful," Ginny Weasley exclaimed. Ginny was a thin girl, with bright red hair, and freckles dusting her pale face. As she said these words, her non-boyfriend (they hadn't officially decided to call one another boyfriend and girlfriend), Harry Potter, peered out at the sight ahead of them.  
  
They were at the Shrieking Shack, one of the so-called "most haunted places" in Europe. However, Harry knew otherwise. The Shrieking Shack had never been haunted–it had simply housed a werewolf every now and then. At this point, the white snow was sparkling all over the dilapidated building, covering the ground and the trees. It looked like some sort of magical land. Some sort of _cold_, magical land   
  
"It is beautiful," agreed Harry, pushing up his glasses, and pulling his scarf tighter around his neck. "Are you warm enough?"  
  
Ginny sighed and looked Harry in the eyes. He smiled a small smile at her, and bent down, planting a quick kiss on her lips. "You want to head to Zonko's?" she suggested. "Hermione and Ron are supposed to meet us there soon."  
  
Harry nodded. "Sure."   
  
Hand in hand, the couple walked to Zonko's Joke Shop, inside of which, they noticed, a large crowd was gathering. "Wonder what's going on," Ginny whispered.  
  
"Guess we'll find out soon enough," Harry replied, holding the door open for her. Spotting his best friends, Hermione and Ron, he called, "Hello! What's happening?"  
  
Hermione answered, "It's ridiculous, I know–"  
  
"You think everything's ridiculous," Ron countered. "In fact, when you told me you loved me, you called me ridiculous."  
  
"Because you _are_ ridiculous, Ron. Getting into a fight with Viktor? Ridiculous. Competing for me? Ridiculous."  
  
Ron protested, "I am not! And any normal girl would think that getting into a fight over her, or competing for her, is noble or valiant or some rubbish like that. They would be over the moon. But not you–"  
  
"Well, then maybe you could find yourself someone more 'normal.' I'm sure Padma wouldn't mind dating you again. Even after your lousy date at the Yule Ball," Hermione said.  
  
"Fine, maybe I will find someone normal. It's probably better than some snippy know-it-all, don't you think?"  
  
"Go ahead. Don't think I care. Maybe while you're doing that, I'll send an owl to Viktor. See how he's doing." Hermione smiled smugly at Ron, knowing she had won this conversation.  
  
Ron turned bright red, and turned back to Harry and Ginny. "They've come out with a love potion that only lasts a week."  
  
"Apparently," Hermione said, picking up the narrative, "it's very potent. Anyone who used would go completely mad over someone for seven whole days. It's the perfect prank. Pour some into your best mate's cup, and he goes loony for the next person he sees. "  
  
"If you were on the stuff, its guaranteed that you would do loads of embarrassing things. Serenades, awful poetry, cheesy lines, all of it," Ron continued.  
  
"Fist fights with people older and stronger than you," Hermione added. Ron glared. "What? It could happen."  
  
Harry laughed. "I suppose it could, couldn't it?"  
  
"No one from Hogwarts will buy it, I hope," Hermione said. "Love potions are strictly forbidden."  
  
Ron rolled his eyes. "Like that would stop anyone. Except maybe you."  
  
"I am not the only student at Hogwarts with morals," Hermione insisted.  
  
"Oh, look," Harry said. "Speaking of people with no morals." Approaching the counter of Zonko's was Draco Malfoy. Malfoy looked particularly self-satisfied at the moment, as he handed over four galleons for a bottle of the potion.   
  
As Malfoy passed by the four, he whispered, "Watch out, Potter. I'd _love_ to see you make a fool of yourself for the attentions of Weasley here."  
  
"Oh, I'm afraid," Harry responded.   
  
"You should be." Malfoy sneered over his shoulder as he continued walking. "You filthy mudblood-lover." Ron balled up his fists, on behalf of Hermione, the only "mudblood" present. Malfoy noticed. "Oh, have I offended you, Weasley? You and your little mudblood whore?" Ron threw himself at Malfoy, but Malfoy jumped back just in time to avoid being hit. However, the Slytherin boy lost his footing, and fell onto his back on the floor, unconscious, the bottle of potion slipping out his hands.  
  
The bottle sailed through the air, but Ron, pulled out his wand and yelled, "Accio bottle of love potion." It soared back, into Ron's hand.  
  
"Ron," Ginny said warily. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Oh, just what I call revenge. Stupid git." Ron uncorked the bottle and poured a few drops into Malfoy's mouth.   
  
Hermione scolded, "Ron! Have you suddenly gone mad? You can't just do that!"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because!" Hermione cried. "You just can't."  
  
"Oh, that's a wonderful reason, Hermione," Ron replied sarcastically, as he handed the potion to Harry. He told Harry to "just do something with it."  
  
"I think," Ginny said, leaning over Malfoy, "that he's waking up." Malfoy's eyes fluttered open, just as Hermione and Ron yelled, "Don't!"  
  
"Oh," Malfoy moaned, rubbing the back of his head as he stood up. "Ow, my head." He looked Ginny up and down. "Well, at least I have you here, to ease the pain. Would you like to kiss it?"  
  
Hermione made a face and hit Ron on the arm. "_That_ is why you can't do that!"  
  
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A/N: Okay, kind of a short chapter. Please review. 


	2. Day One

Day One  
  
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Draco Malfoy, much to Ginny's discomfort, was staring at her as if she was a lamb and he was a wolf. It was entirely disconcerting. Even the look of disgust on her face was not enough to make him stop staring.  
  
"Ginny," Harry pleaded. "Please stand behind me. I don't like the way he's looking at you."  
  
"Neither do I," Ginny said, taking Harry's advice and standing behind him.  
  
"Listen, Malfoy," Harry warned the other boy. "Go away. Lock yourself inside for a week. You'll thank me later." He paused. "And if ever, ever, ask my girlfriend to kiss you _anywhere_ ever again, you will regret it." Ginny inwardly smiled at Harry calling her his girlfriend.  
  
Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Oh, will I, Potter?" He laughed in Harry's face. "She may be your girlfriend now, but not for long, I assure you. Ginny Weasley can't hope for anything better than me. And I couldn't hope for anything better than her. Even _if_ she is a mudblood-lover. People can change." Malfoy glanced longingly at the petite girl poking out from behind Harry.  
  
"Stay away from Ginny," Harry said angrily.   
  
Malfoy smiled coldly and turned away, walking out the door. As he went, he said, "Goodbye, my love. For now, that is." He was gone.  
  
"How could this have happened?" Harry raged at Hermione and Ron, who stopped bickering for a moment to look at him.   
  
Hermione answered, "It's all Ron's fault, obviously. For, one: stealing Malfoy's potion; two: using the potion against him; and three: after having given the potion to him, Ron did not tell us to go away so that we would not be the first spotted." She looked at Ron. "When you were pouring that potion down Malfoy's throat, you weren't thinking about the poor girl OR boy that he would lose himself over. Were you?"  
  
"No," Ron answered. "I was thinking about the fact that he called you...what he called you. I don't know why you always get so uptight when I defend you or fight for you. Like I said, normal girls find that kind of thing romantic."  
  
"Oh, really? Yes, you're right. It is terribly _romantic_ that your sister, my friend, is now being targeted for an actual relationship by the most loathsome, foul creature at Hogwarts. Oh, I think that is just so romantic," Hermione replied sarcastically.   
  
Eyes narrowed, Ron said, "Hermione, did you hear what he called you? How could I not react? I mean, you're my girlfriend, and I love you, and I'm supposed to do those kinds of things. And I didn't mean for him to fall in love with Ginny."  
  
Hermione's snide look softened, and she said, "Well, yes. I heard what he called me. And I really appreciate the effort to defend me. But, Ron–and I say this because I love you–you have to think before you act."  
  
Harry rolled his eyes at the now-kissing couple. Ginny smirked. Ron and Hermione were the strangest people he had ever seen who were apparently "in love." One second, they were squabbling and ready to rip one another's head off. The next, they were kissing and going on and on about how much they loved each other, what they meant to each other, how they felt about each other. It really was enough to make Harry sick.  
  
"I'm sorry this is happening," Harry told Ginny, leading her out into the street. "You don't deserve to have Malfoy be in love with you. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy."  
  
Ginny grinned and laughed. "It's only a week, right? And he doesn't seem so bad. A few cheesy lines, a few empty threats in your direction, and a few minutes of staring. I think I can handle it if that's all that's involved."  
  
"_If_," Harry said. "That's the problem. _If_."  
  
Ginny tugged on Harry's scarf. "So...I'm your girlfriend?"  
  
Blushing slightly, Harry said, "I know we didn't exactly decide that we were, you know, _dating_. But it just sort of slipped out." He chuckled. "I guess I'm a little protective of you. I hope that's alright."  
  
She bit her lip. "It's more than alright. It's lovely. I've been wondering for the past two months what we were."  
  
"So have I," Harry told her.  
  
The tips of Ginny's ears burned red, and she said, "So..._boyfriend_, where do you want to go now? Maybe–"  
  
"Oh no," Harry groaned. "It's him. Let's go."   
  
But it was too late. Malfoy had spotted them, and he was coming their way. Anywhere they went, they would only be followed. He called, "Oh, hello Ginny."Ginny looked away, utterly horrified. "Don't pretend you don't see me," Malfoy continued. "Besides, look what I bought you." Ginny glaced at him as he pulled a bouquet of multi-colored flowers out from behind his back and handed them to her. She didn't accept. She didn't have a chance to. Harry had ripped them from Malfoy's grip before she'd even gotten a good look at them.  
  
"There you go, Malfoy. For the next week, I will be right here, by Ginny's side, to protect her from–ow. Ow. Oh." Harry's hand had suddenly begun to sprout large lumps–boils. Much to Ginny's horror, Harry's surprise, and Malfoy's delight, the boils were soon traveling up Harry's arm.  
  
"Potter,"said Malfoy. "You are just so predictable. Why do you think I bought _two_ bouquets and put a hex on one?" He pulled out the other bouquet, this one comprised solely of blood-red roses and handed it to Ginny. She seemed to have no choice but to accept them, so that he would go away and she could take care of Harry.  
  
But no. He would not leave.  
  
The boils had reached Harry's shoulders. She needed to get him to a professor.   
  
Malfoy still stood there, leering, and blocking the way.  
  
Finally, Ginny did the only thing she could think of to make him leave–"Could you, perhaps," she asked, directing the question at Malfoy, "buy me a butterbeer? I'm simply parched."  
  
Malfoy looked hesitant. He wasn't stupid. He knew that he was being sent away, and he didn't want to go. But could he really deny the request of his true love? After a few seconds contemplation, he rushed away.  
  
"Harry," Ginny said. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Ye-yes," Harry responded, but now the lower half of his face was covered, and it was spreading both upwards and downwards.   
  
"Sit down," Ginny said. "I see Professor McGonagall over there. I'm going to go get her, okay?" Harry nodded. "Okay." Running towards the pub Ginny spotted the professor in, she dropped the rose bouquet on the ground. Knocking on the window of the pub, Ginny shouted, "Professor! Professor!"   
McGonagall looked up, surprised, and came out quickly. "What it, child?"  
  
"Draco Malfoy has hexed Harry. He's got boils all over him. It's terrible," Ginny said it a rush, as she pointed over to where Harry was sitting in the snow, receiving a few strange looks.  
  
"Oh, dear," Professor McGonagall said, hurrying over to Harry. Pulling out her wand she said a few words and the boils shrunk down so that they were tiny dots. "You'll have to see Madame Pomfrey when we get back, Potter. She'll take care of you." She looked back at Ginny. "You say that Draco Malfoy did this?"  
  
Ginny nodded eagerly. "Yes. He put a hex on some flowers, so that when you touch them, I guess this happens. He knew Harry would grab the bouquet–"  
  
"Why would Harry grab the bouquet? Why was Mr. Malfoy giving Harry flowers?"  
  
"Well." Ginny blushed. "Malfoy was giving the bouquet to _me_, and Harry snatched it away. Malfoy knew Harry would do that. So he'd already done whatever he did to the flowers."  
  
McGonagall looked suspicious. "You are telling me, Miss Weasley, that Draco Malfoy was giving the flowers to _you_?" Ginny nodded. "I must say that your story is not adding up. Correct me if I am wrong, but you, Potter here, your brother, and Miss Granger are all often getting into trouble, when it concern Malfoy. The four of you seem to detest him–and he you–more than anything. Why would he be giving you flowers?"  
  
Ginny turned even brighter red, so that her hair now matched her face. "There was a–"  
  
Harry interrupted, "A joke. It was a joke of some sort, I'm sure. That was why I grabbed the flowers. Because I worried that there was a curse or something on them, and I didn't want Ginny to touch them."  
  
Professor McGonagall nodded and said, "Very well. Mr. Malfoy will be dealt with accordingly. In the meantime, I suggest that you, Potter, go back early and take a trip to the hospital wing."  
  
Harry nodded. "Alright."  
  
With that, Harry and Ginny headed back to the castle, each keeping an eye out for one Mr. Draco Malfoy.  
  
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Dinner came soon, and, at that point, Harry was completely boil-free. Ginny was glad to see it. Hermione and Ron had also returned to the castle by then, and were arguing over house elves–a topic of debate which they returned to every now and then, once they had run out of other things to bicker about.  
  
"It's slave labor, Ron. How many times do I have to tell you that?" Hermione was saying.  
  
"But they _enjoy it_," Ron said.  
  
Hermione gave a great heaving sigh, and said, as if it were the clearest thing in the world, "That's because they don't know any better."  
  
"So? That doesn't mean–"  
  
"Everyone," a voice said. "I have an announcement to make." Hermione, Ron, Harry, Ginny, and everyone else in the Great Hall turned their heads to see Draco Malfoy, standing on the Slytherin table.   
  
"Mr. Malfoy," Professor McGonagall screeched. "What _are_ you doing?"  
  
Malfoy ignored her, and said, "I have composed a poem for my dearest love." Ginny paled.  
  
"What's gotten into him?" George Weasley asked, trying to be heard over the laughter echoing around the Great Hall.

Malfoy began reading, looking completely serious:

"_She has captivated my heart,  
  
I won't let her break it apart,  
  
She is the essence of my soul,  
  
Without her, I am not whole,  
  
Trust me, she'll soon be mine,  
  
Now, excuse me, and continue to dine,  
  
I hope these words have gotten through,  
  
Ginny Weasley, I love you._" 

Looking as if he were about to pass out from laughter, Fred Weasley said, "That's too funny. Wait–Ginny Weasley? Ginny! He loves _Ginny_?"   
  
Hermione, trying not to laugh, quietly explained the love potion to him.   
  
"Oh, that's priceless! Please tell me someone wrote that down. We can torture him with it for ages to come," Ron exclaimed. Someone actually replied in the affirmative.  
  
Meanwhile, Ginny looked as if she were about to die. People were staring at her very hard, and it took many reassuring words in a calm tone from Harry for her to be able to breathe again. She couldn't, however, regain any semblance of an appetite.  
  
Malfoy was being taken away by McGonagall and Snape, both of whom looked extremely upset at the fact that he had decided to attempt poetry. Especially while people were trying to eat.  
  
"Ginny," Lavender Brown said. "Draco Malfoy is in love with you? How did that happen?"  
  
Ginny turned beet red, stood up, and stormed away.  
  
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In bed that night, Harry lay, contemplating how horrible Ginny was feeling at that moment. His thoughts were soon interrupted, however, by Ron's voice, which told him that "Hermione and me are over. We broke up."  
  
"Again?" groaned Harry. "What did you do this time?"  
  
"What did_ I_ do? I didn't do anything. It's her. _She_ called _me_ an idiot."  
  
Harry rolled his eyes. "She always calls you an idiot."  
  
"Exactly," Ron said. "She's always putting me down, and I am sick of it. I bet I could find someone who's much more supportive than her."  
  
"Ron. You love Hermione. She loves you. Tomorrow morning, just apologize," Harry advised his best friend.  
  
"Why should I apologize?" Ron asked, indignant. "What did I do?"  
  
Harry answered, "You're being an idiot, that's what."  
  
Ron was silent for a long time. Finally, he said something which Harry had heard from him numerous times before: "Well. Alright. I s'pose I can apologize to her, just this one time."  
  
Though he was certainly entertained by Hermione and Ron's relationship, he really wasn't in the mood for dealing with it at that moment. After all, he had his own to worry about. He wasn't sure that _it_ was going to last through this week.  
  
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A/N: Okay. This chapter's longer than the last one. As you may have noticed, each chapter will be one day of the week that Malfoy is under the thrall of the potion, or whatever. So, seven chapters total (plus a prologue and epilogue–so that's nine). Thanks for your reviews so far. Please continue to review.   
  
Oh, and FYI--Malfoy's poem is supposed to be terrible. And I did write it myself.


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